Owner of escaped antelope had no permit

The owner of an exotic antelope that escaped from a private collection in Hopkinton had been keeping it and other animals illegally, Rhode Island environmental officials said Wednesday.

State veterinarian Scott Marshall told The Associated Press the owner did not have an exotic wild animal permit to keep the 500-pound female antelope or four other antelope. The escaped antelope was being captured for relocation to Texas when it got loose Tuesday. It is still missing.

The other animals have been sent to the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch in Murchison, Texas, as planned, according to Marshall.

Marshall said the department is considering penalties against the owner, whom he declined to name. Normally, people found to be keeping wild animals without the required permits face fines and removal of the animals, he said.

Officials have said the animal collection is in the Woodville-Alton Road section of Hopkinton. The animal, which belongs to a species native to Asia, is believed to have been imported from a game farm in New York state, Marshall said.

Marshall said the owner told the state that the antelope that escaped had gotten out before, but returned on its own. He said the owner has a “pretty decent fence” but that it was damaged during Superstorm Sandy.

State officials have warned hunters not to target the antelope, which resembles a large brown deer with no antlers. Before it escaped, it was shot with a dart containing medication that could harm, or even kill humans who ingest its meat.

Marshall said the medication is a potent sedative that usually makes an animal wobbly and lie down within 15 minutes. The medication wears off in about eight to 10 hours, he said.

Residents are asked to report any sightings of the animal to the state Department of Environmental Management. Marshall said there have been no credible sightings so far.